Snake and Mouse
by Forever Siriusly Sirius
Summary: In which Voldemort plays a game of cat and mouse with Nagini.


**Prompt**: Write about Nagini

**For**: Quidditch League, Round 7

**Position**: Reserve Captain for the Bats

* * *

You were but a mere child, barely out of the egg, when _he _found you. When he saved you, rescued you from the life of the idle snake left alone in a ruthless forest, and turned you into something _more._ No longer were you just a snake, like so many others, set to spend the rest of your days chasing rats and eating the odd straggler who had been so cunningly lured into the endless trap that was the dark, weaving forest of Albania. Now you were _his_ right hand, a treasure above all else. Strong and powerful, you were worthy of _his _soul.

Lying in the grass, you had sensed _him_ before he sensed you. Your eyes followed the ethereal not-quite-there spirit with a hunger that came from power rather than a desire for food. It wasn't difficult to see that even in _his_ weakened form, _he_ was something to be feared, admired and respected. Naturally, you were drawn to greatness. Drawn to him, like a moth to a brightly burning flame. Then _he_ saw you and you knew that your place was not amongst the other snakes _he _so carefully inhabited - and never for long, for none of them were strong enough to withstand your Lord and Masters' unmatchable strength, even in his weakened state - but rather at _his _right hand. The words _he _whispered with _his _smooth, velvety voice, into your mind seduced you. They spoke of the power and the glory you would have at his side, weaving the image of destined greatness into the susceptible folds of your young mind. You were special, and _he _saw that. _He_ appreciated that you were not like the others - that you were superior, destined to be anything but ordinary. That you _deserved_ it. So you became _his_, obeying his every word without complaint or question - what did you have to complain about? You were always rewarded, sometimes even praised. _He_ made you special, just like you were destined to be.

But sometimes, just sometimes, you were still just a snake. And snakes liked to hunt. With a predatory gaze, your sharp eyes follow every movement of the rat that was tantalsingly _so close._ But _he _had not given you permission. Not yet. Body taut, you lie dead still at your masters' feet in the old house waiting to strike at a moment's notice. You wanted that rat, oh how you wanted it. But you couldn't have it. You would never disobey _him,_ no matter how tempting. The rat scurried across the room, so excruciatingly close you could just - _no. He forbiddsss it. Mussst wait._ You repeat the words over and over in your mind like a mantra. The rat came closer again, and it was then you realised _he _was controlling it. This was a test, and you could smell _his_ amusement rolling off of him in waves as he teased you.

"Patience, Nagini," _his_ seductive voice washed over you, strengthening your weakening will as the desire to please battled with the desire for prey. You were being patient, you wanted to hiss. You'd been patient for the last 20 odd minutes while _he_ taunted you and you were getting frustrated. Part of you wondered whether you had done something wrong and this was your punishment, but a larger part of you knew that it was just your master playing games. Games were a favourite of your master, you knew. Often you were part of the games, you got to entangle yourself around the unfortunate - unfortunate for them, not so much for you, you think with glee – victim, and savour the all-encompassing smell of their fear that made your tongue flicker with anticipation as you slowly squeeze the life out of them until they gave your precious master what he desired. Those games you liked. Especially if you got a meal out of it at the end. But games like this? Games where _you_ were the victim? Not so much.

The juicy smell of the rat infiltrated your senses and you couldn't help the flicker of your tongue, the action only making your slim hold on self-restraint even slimmer as you could practically taste the rat. Almost pleadingly, your quick eyes half darted to your lord and master, who was almost lazily flicking _his_ wand, moving the rat further and further away from you with an amused smirk on his face. It was cruel, really. One minute the rat was so close, so close you could so very easily just _lunge _and it would be yours. One lunge was all it would take, unhinging your jaw to wrap out the delicious, soft, juicy body of the creature and savouring in the way it tasted, slipping down your gullet as easily as water. Oh, how you wanted it. You were so tense now, afraid that if you let yourself move even a fraction of an inch you would pounce on the creature that was literally sending you _mad_ with desire.

Finally, _finally,_ he ended the excruciating teasing. With a subtle nod of his head, he released you from the binds obedience had trapped you in, and how you lunged. Quick as lightning, faster than sound you were on the rat, ready to open up your jaw and swallow at whole – when suddenly it wasn't there. Confusion mixed with untamed desire flooded you until you heard _his_ cold laugh.

"Nagini, Nagini, you didn't really think I would make it so easy for you, did you?" his voice was mocking, the same tone he used on his playthings. But you weren't a plaything, at least not usually. Using the irritation at having been reduced from _his _Nagini_, his _right hand, to a _source of amusement_ you lunged again. And again. And again, until eventually you won. Or _he_ let you win. Either way, no amount of dinted pride could lessen the delicious taste of success as the rat finally made its way where it belonged.


End file.
